How to Build a Custom GPT AI Cover Letter Generator

‍Introduction to Cover Letter Generators

Crafting a compelling cover letter is crucial for professionals seeking new opportunities. However, writing one can be time-consuming and challenging. This is where automated cover letter generators come in. These powerful tools can save you time and effort by automatically generating personalized cover letters based on your input.

There are various alternatives for building a Cover Letter Generator using generative AI. Two alternatives with their Pros and Cons are the following:

1. Using a GPT builder from ChatGPT

• Pros: No programming knowledge is required. You will use natural language to describe the behavior of the GPT.

• Cons:  Access to the GPT builder requires a ChatGPT Plus or Enterprise account, and the monthly fee is higher than using the OpenAI APIs.

1. Using OpenAI APIs from within Microsoft Word

• Pros: The cost of the OpenAI APIs is charged by the number of tokens used, and the cost per token is relatively inexpensive for something like a cover letter generator.

• Cons: Properly invoking the APIs from within a Word document requires programming knowledge.

Therefore, if you lack programming knowledge, I suggest using alternative 1 and following the steps in this blog post.

Alternative 2 is described in this additional article: How to create a cover letter generator with ChatGPT, which requires an OpenAI API account and is integrated into Microsoft Word.

Other alternatives for implementing an AI cover letter generator are available, but they will require even more programming knowledge and setup than alternative 2 listed above.

Creating Your Own GPT for Building a Tailored Cover Letter Generator

Building your own GPT may seem daunting, but with the right approach, it can be achievable.   In this article, I will take you through the step-by-step process using alternative 1 above to create a custom GPT that creates an AI cover letter creator based on your resume and the job description.  Once you are done, you can think of it as having your own personal cover letter writer AI.

The Benefits of Using an AI Cover Letter Generator

Using a cover letter generator offers several advantages. First, it saves you valuable time. Instead of spending hours drafting and revising a cover letter, a generator can create a draft for you in minutes. Second, cover letter generators can help you tailor your cover letter to specific job listings. By inputting your resume and job requirements, the generator can generate a letter that highlights your relevant skills and experiences.

Understanding Custom GPTs (Generative Pre-trained Transformers)

OpenAI announced in November 2023 that people could create custom GPTs, detailed in the blog post, Introducing GPTs.

GPTs are deep learning models trained on vast amounts of text data. They can generate human-like text based on their learned patterns and structures. GPTs allow users to create tailored versions of ChatGPT for specific purposes, such as teaching, designing, or analyzing data, without coding skills. These custom GPTs can be shared with others and used in various settings, such as work or at home. GPTs are designed to be customizable, with features like custom instructions, knowledge sources, and actions that enable users to enhance the capabilities of their GPT models. Custom GPTs are fine-tuned for specific tasks such as generating cover letters. Training the model on your data allows it to generate text specific to your information.

Step-by-Step Guide to Building a Tailored Cover Letter Generator

Now that you understand the basics of a custom GPT and the benefits of a cover letter AI generator, let's explore a step-by-step guide to building your own.

Step 1: Create and log in to your ChatGPT account

a) To get started, create your own ChatGPT Plus or Enterprise account by visiting this URL: https://chat.openai.com/.

This process involves training the model on your resume, skills, and experience and adjusting its parameters to generate high-quality cover letter text.

b) Login to ChatGPT account and go to "Explore GPTs" on the left-hand pane, and then on the top right click "+Create", or go directly to the GPT editor at this link https://chat.openai.com/gpts/editor

Step 2: Create your custom GPT Cover letter generator

a) Start the creation process using the "Create" UI flow. This flow guides you through creating the custom GPT and, in natural language, describes the GPT builder and what you want it to do.

b) Enter the description of what you want the GPT builder to create. You can see that I have provided very basic instructions about what function I want the cover letter generator to perform.

c) It will prompt you with a suggested name that you can modify or accept.  I accepted this name by replying, "yes".

d) It provides a suggested profile picture and asks if you want to change it. Since I will be the only user of this GPT I was not concerned about having a picture that drew attention, so I accepted this picture and proceeded to the next step.

e) The ChatGPT builder starts asking questions about how it should handle the input. I answered that I want it to provide detailed instructions for document input.

f) In the next 2 steps, it asks for input on the formatting and styling of the cover letter output and the tone of the cover letter. In these questions, it's important to clarify to ChatGPT your preference for the styling and tone of the letter so that you create cover letters that provide insight into your personal style.

Note: Please be aware that the questions and sequence presented by the GPT builder for your situation may differ from those outlined in this blog post. The editor will customize the questions based on your input and strive to clarify your desired actions and behavior before creating the custom GPT.

You can also introduce additional directions to the GPT builder to ensure you get the desired results.

g) The cover letter creator is now ready for you to try creating a cover letter with your inputs.

Step 3: Try out the Cover letter generator

Use the Preview pane to try the cover letter generator and see if it offers the capabilities you desire.

a)  Start by uploading a job description. In this particular instance, I used a PDF file for the job description, and it created a cover letter reply in the ChatGPT UI.

b) Test the cover letter with various input types, such as PDF and cut/paste, for the job description to ensure the GPT works as expected. For example, I determined that uploading the job description from a URL did not work properly. In later steps, I will show you how I addressed this problem and how you can make future changes to the GPT.

Step 4: Configure your Cover letter generator

Click on "Configure" on the left pane:

a) You can change the profile picture or update any of the information in the "Name", "Description", "Instructions", or "conversation starters".

b) You may have noticed that I only mention using a job description as input in the initial directions I provided to the GPT builder. How would that create a cover letter that is personalized to me?

I'm assuming I am the sole user of this GPT, allowing me to train the GPT with my information. To do this, I provide it with my resume and additional skills in the "Knowledge" section. In the example provided, two documents were uploaded: the resume and an additional skills document. This allows ChatGPT to gain a comprehensive understanding of my work experience and skills, enabling it to provide more tailored responses. Adopting this approach will allow me to train the GPT with specific knowledge about myself.

c) As mentioned during my testing of the cover letter generator it did not handle job description input via URL very well (Many job postings are behind login access, so I have decided to limit the input to a cut/paste or a document upload). To make this change, I simply had to explain to the ChatGPT editor that the description cannot be input via a URL and then let it update the GPT to remove this capability.

d)  To be consistent, I also changed the "Conversation Starters" in the same configure pane to remove the URL access for the job description so that it does not present that conversation starter as an option to the user.

Step 5: Saving your GPT

a) Once you are satisfied with the cover letter generator you can "Save" it and specify who can access the custom GPT. I changed the "Publish to" to "Only me" before saving the GPT so that it's only visible and accessible for me to use.

b) The custom GPT will be available to use in the ChatGPT UI on the left-hand pane.

Step 6: Making additional changes to the Cover Letter Generator

You may find that the initial GPT doesn't behave as you wanted or that the generated output is not always what you expected. You can make additional changes to improve the desired output.

Note: I found that the initial GPT created did not follow the directions I had given it to create the output in a bulleted format, and I had to come back to the build and provide new instructions so that it produced the correct output.

a) To make changes to the Cover Letter Generator, select the "Cover Letter Creator" GPT on the main ChatGPT UI. In the "Cover Letter Creator" pane at the top left, use the drop-down menu, and choose "Edit GPT."

b)  Once you are in the GPT Builder, choose "Create" in the left pane and provide directions to the GPT in the message area with the changes you want to make.

The power behind this approach is you are not doing any coding. All the changes can be done by using a natural language description.

c) Each time you change the GPT you must save the updates.

Tips for Optimizing Your Cover Letter Generator

Now that you have the basic cover letter generator, you can experiment with additional improvements to make it more valuable in your job search process. Consider implementing the following improvements:

1. Incorporate Industry-specific Templates: Provide a selection of cover letter templates for different industries and job roles.

2. Integration of Dynamic Content Suggestions: Enhance the GPT by integrating dynamic content suggestions based on the user's input. This could involve real-time prompts for specific skills, achievements, or experiences to include in the cover letter, ensuring the generated content is personalized and compelling.

3. Keyword Optimization: This feature allows you to input keywords that you want to emphasize in the cover letter for a particular job posting.

Note: With the GPT, you can still provide specific guidance in the prompt to begin the text generation. Therefore, even without updating the custom GPT, you can always tailor the initial prompt with specific instructions for each cover letter generated.

The Future of Cover Letter Generators and GPTs

As technology advances, we can expect cover letter generators and custom GPTs to become even more sophisticated. Artificial intelligence and machine learning algorithms will enable cover letter generators to generate highly personalized and convincing cover letters. Additionally, advancements in natural language processing will enhance the ability of GPT models to understand context and generate coherent and contextually relevant text.

Conclusion

In conclusion, cover letter generators offer numerous benefits for job seekers. They save time, ensure consistency, and help tailor cover letters to specific job listings. You can build your own tailored cover letter generator by understanding the technology behind custom GPTs. Following a step-by-step guide, optimizing your cover letter generator, and utilizing the right tools and resources, you can create a powerful tool that streamlines the job application process. I hope this step-by-step guide was helpful in getting you started, so why not give it a try and unlock your success with a tailored cover letter generator?